Murray State (6-1) continue their great start to the season winning both matches this past weekend. Valley teams look forward to an upcoming 14 match weekend.
Drake's Ines Stephani defeated Iowa's Daianne Hayashida. Hayashida entered the weekend as the country's 85th-ranked singles player. The defending MVC Player of the Year picked up the first ranked win of her career.
On Sunday (Feb. 18) Valpo's Olivia Czerwonka recorded her 17th singles win this season and the 80th of her career, the first player in program history to reach that mark. She is one singles win away from cracking the program’s single-season top 10 as an 18th victory would put her in a four-way tie for ninth in the single-season section of the record book.
Last week (Feb. 10-11) Murray State senior Annika Pschorr earned her 100th career win after sweeping her doubles matches with partner Sarah Bureau against Bellarmine and Eastern Kentucky. This week Sarah Bureau won both matches at the #2 position in straight sets to help Murray State secure wins over WKU and MTSU, with Murray State having not beaten MTSU since 1989.
Senior Ines Stephani earned Drake’s lone point in the matchup with Iowa (2/18) by taking down Daianne Hayashida at No.1 singles. Hayashida had entered the match ranked as the 85th-best singles player in the country. The win moves Stephani to 13-2 in singles on the season and is the first ranked win of her career.
Paola Campigotto and Marit Kreuge clinched the doubles point for Murray State for both matches (WKU and MTSU). They are still undefeated as a duo this Spring with a perfect 6-0 record. With the doubles win vs MTSU, Marit achieved career win #100.
Notable Singles Performances
- Tuana Gunal (Missouri State) - Defeated Oral Roberts 6-1, 6-0 and had play halted at 3-4 against Arkansas after dropping the the first set 6-2
- Camille Belberka (UIC) - Was defeated by Norte Dame 3-6, 6-3, 0-1
- Mariia Hlahola (Belmont) - Defeated Gonzaga 7-6(4), 6-3
- Andra Sirbu (Bradley) - Defeated Western Illinois 6-2, 6-0
- Sarah Bureau (Murray State) - Defeated Western Kentucky 7-5, 6-2 and Middle Tennessee 6-3, 6-0
- Sydney Stone (Valparaiso) - Defeated Butler 6-3, 6-1 and Eastern Michigan 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(0)
- Tijana Zlatanovic (Illinois State) - Defeated Marshal 6-2, 6-3 and DePaul 7-5, 2-6, 6-4
notable Doubles performances
- Olivia Czerwonka and Moira Silva (Valparaiso) - Defeated Butler 6-2 and went unfished against Western Kentucky after 4-5
- Viktoria Kliimand and Vesa Gjinaj (Belmont) - Defeated Gonzaga 7-1
MVC Standings
Belmont to host MVC championship
Belmont University is set to host the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Championship on April 26th-28th. This will be the first-ever MVC Team Tennis Championship held at Belmont's campus and the second MVC Champion the Bruins will host after the 2023 MVC Cross Country Championship in October. The competition will be held at Belmont Family Tennis Complex.